The children laughed while they walked along and ate the ice cream that had inadvertently brought them to his and F’roxan’s attention.
Racien flexed his claws in their armored gloves and turned to his partner in crime. “F’roxan, if we take human children, you know what will happen. Baba Yaga—”
“Is gone,” the female Yollin countered. “Nobody has seen or heard of the Witch since she followed the Empress into the Great Darkness. We can contact a couple of the others, get them to help.” She shifted to keep the possible score in her sights. “We get rid of the nanny and grab the kids. Find out who their parents are. Send them a note, and we are out of this godforsaken place.” She looked at her partner a moment. “What do you say? This could be our ticket out of here.”
Racien gave a brief nod, and the two turned to follow the human children down the concourse.
High Tortuga, Southern Continent
Michael met the T-rex head-on. He leapt as he slashed and used the dinosaur’s body as a springboard to get even higher.
The T-rex screamed its rage, then tossed its head and butted Michael before he could land and put his swords to use again. The T-rex whipped its barbed tail at Michael as he hit the ground.
He landed in a crouch and rolled to avoid the swipe. He got up and charged again, but the dinosaur caught him with its tail on the backswing and knocked him away a second time.
Michael got up and rolled his shoulders. He rubbed his broken ribs while they knitted, and then he sprinted back at the beast with his swords raised.
Peter watched in growing disbelief as Michael stood up and dusted off the dirt. “Why is he moving so slowly? He isn’t using the Etheric.” He looked at Akio. “What gives? Are these Bethany Anne’s rules? He could have killed it twice already.”
Akio quieted the younger man with a hand. “Watch and learn. Michael has chosen to restrict himself. He came for an equal fight. If he used all his talents, it would be no challenge for either of them.”
Michael flowed around the dinosaur, sword flashing each time the dinosaur brought a foot down. The beast was beyond enraged. It flung itself in wide arcs and snapped and stomped wildly in an attempt to crush the small creature that was causing it so much pain.
“According to Michael, killing it with a thousand cuts while it tries to ‘smoosh him into paste,’ as Scott called it, is honorable,” Akio finished.
Peter looked again and saw it was sort of an even fight, in its way. Michael had to work to land every cut on the frenzied T-rex, which only needed to eat him once to win. “Yeah, ok, seems fair,” he conceded.
The T-rex lunged and snapped at Michael again. It screeched when it failed to capture Michael in its jaws, spraying him with hot saliva, then turned its head to fix a maddened eye on him. Michael met its gaze with curiosity, and it used the distraction to pivot and slam its tail into him again.
He was knocked dangerously close to the edge of the plateau and dug his swords into the ground to forestall his untimely death. He got to his feet and tugged his swords out of the ground, then stalked forward, calling out, “Is that all you’ve got? I thought this was going to be a more taxing endeavor.”
As if the disappointment in Michael’s voice made the T-rex even angrier, it whipped its tail at him again.
Michael was ready this time. He took a running jump as the tail came around at him and landed in the middle of the dinosaur’s tail, then used his swords like ice axes to work his way up its back.
The T-rex shuddered and shook to remove Michael, but he just stabbed deeper and hung on grimly as the dinosaur caused the ground to shake beneath them.
He continued to climb sword over sword, digging his feet in for purchase as the world shook around them. He reached the beast’s shoulders and hauled himself to his feet.
The T-rex twisted and swiped at its neck with its forearms, but Michael was too fast even with the restrictions he was placing on himself.
This was why Bethany Anne’s decrees had had no more effect than to make him chuckle.
Here in this moment, Michael was at his rawest, simultaneously at his most vulnerable and most powerful.
She could probably understand this on some level—or at least Baba Yaga would—but where his love had retreated to a dark place as an escape from her reality, this was his reality.
His truth.
He was the husband, the lover, the father, the leader—all those light things that Bethany Anne had dragged him to like a recalcitrant horse to water.
Beneath it all, Michael was death incarnate.
He roared, the roar becoming a deep laugh as he felt the sweet agony of the last three years’ frustration leaving him. All the restraint, all the pent-up aggression.
Gone.
Every nerve ending sizzled exquisitely as he battled the behemoth until he was no more than the pure reaction he’d been forged into over a thousand years ago. He cut and slashed and ducked and swerved, and the T-rex clawed at itself in desperation as it tried and failed to dislodge him.
The blood loss Michael was causing began to have an effect, and the T-rex staggered heavily to its left.
The ground shook again, more violently than before.
Time to finish this.
Michael jumped for the head and slammed the swords into one side of the dinosaur’s skull, then removed a blade. He was soaked by a fountain of blood when it popped free.
Michael pulled on the sword in his left hand, but the blade bent and snapped. He dropped the useless hilt and formed claws instead.
The T-rex tossed its head violently, and Michael was hard-pressed to avoid being thrown into the air like a chewtoy as he scrambled onto the T-rex’s forehead. He clung to the ridges above its eyes and punched his remaining sword into one eyeball all the way up to his elbow.
The T-rex stiffened when the blade penetrated its brain. Michael knew it was over when the dinosaur sagged. He pulled his arm out of the hot mess and prepared to jump.
Michael!
Akio’s sudden intrusion in his mind caused him to glance at his friends, his foot moving back a bit more than he’d intended. He lost his footing and tumbled off.
Around twenty feet from the ground, he vanished and appeared at a run a second later, cruising up to Akio and Peter as the T-rex collapsed with a mighty crash that caused the dirt to ripple outward from the point of impact.
Akio slapped Michael on the back. “That was a hell of a battle.”
Michael turned to accept Akio’s congratulations and saw Peter staring at his kill with an unreadable expression on his face. “You called?” he asked.
Peter pointed at the battleground, which was falling into itself as a pair of gigantic hairy paws forced their way up out of the dirt, followed by an even bigger snout. “What the living fuck is that?”
An enormous nose twitched a couple of times.
“Dammit! Not my kill!” Michael bitched.
But of course, that was exactly what the owner of the snout had scented.
It extended a paw and hooked the T-rex’s leg, then pulled the still-steaming carcass into the hole and vanished before Michael could do more than clench his fists in fury.
He stormed off to investigate, leaving Akio and Peter no choice but to keep up with him.
Akio rolled his eyes as they jogged behind Michael. “We can both thank the gods that Bethany Anne is not going to see this.”
Peter’s mouth quirked. “You can say that again. Three years would seem like a long weekend…”
Chapter Three
High Tortuga, Space Fleet Base, Queen’s Suite
Cheryl Lynn made a face at Tabitha’s choice. “I’m not watching that. It’s ridiculous.”
Tabitha looked offended. “I can’t believe you would diss a movie that shaped your generation.”
“It didn’t shape me.” Cheryl Lynn sniffed. “I want to watch Ghost.”
Bethany Anne snorted. “And I want to watch Die Hard, but this is girly movie night. I think we have to go w
ith Cheryl Lynn’s choice, again.”
“But you said I could choose next,” Tabitha grumped. “What about Ghostbusters?”
“That’s not a rom-com,” Bethany Anne cut in. “How about something with Tom Hanks? Everyone likes him.” Her finger hovered over the menu. “What about…” She grinned and made her selection. The opening credits of When Harry Met Sally appeared on the screen.
Cheryl Lynn beamed. “Um, that’s Billy Crystal, but perfect!” She tossed a piece of popcorn into her mouth and sat back to enjoy the movie.
Tabitha jumped up and waved her hands, trying desperately to get their attention. “I’ve got it! A movie that will satisfy all three of us.”
Cheryl Lynn threw a piece of popcorn at her and pointed to the screen. “We’ve chosen! It’s started!”
Tabitha made a face. “But I hate this one. Who wants to watch Meg Ryan fake an orgasm?” She buried her face in her hands. “I’d rather be neck-deep in pirates right now. Choose something else. Anything else.”
The corner of Bethany Anne’s mouth lifted as inspiration hit her. She raised an eyebrow at the two women beside her and pursed her lips. “As you wish.”
Cheryl Lynn clapped in delight. “Oh, perfect!”
Tabitha frowned at Bethany Anne and Cheryl Lynn, a dubious expression on her face. “What’s perfect?”
Bethany Anne smirked and swiped at the tablet. “Wait and see, little one.” She paused it on the title frame. “Anyone want a drink? I have Coke, and…” She smirked. “Who am I kidding? I only have Coke in the fridge.”
Cheryl Lynn snickered. “As if I’d expect anything else. Coke’s fine.”
Tabitha’s lip curled as her eyes narrowed. “The Princess Bride?”
“It has pirates. You’ll love it, I promise,” Cheryl Lynn assured her. “Oh, almost forgot the popcorn.”
Tabitha sat back with the remainder of the ice cream and the spoon. Her nose crinkled at the opening frame of the movie. “Aren’t the guys due back from their hunt pretty soon?”
Cheryl Lynn laughed as she came back in with a fresh bowl of popcorn. “Not likely!”
Bethany Anne handed Tabitha and Cheryl Lynn their drinks. “That man is traipsing around in the wilderness without a single woman to tell him what to do.” She grabbed the knitted blanket from the back of the sofa and snuggled in to watch the movie. “I’m not expecting him back tonight.”
“Good!” Tabitha tilted her chin and huffed. “That means Peter won’t be back either. Maybe I’ll get lucky and the T-rex will eat that pain in my ass for dinner.”
Bethany Anne raised her eyebrows, pausing mid-grab at the popcorn bowl. “Are you really that pissed at him?”
“Yes!” Tabitha looked down into the ice cream tub, scraping the bottom of it aggressively in silence for a moment. “No. We’ll work it out.” She leaned over to drop the empty tub on the table and snagged the tablet. “Movie’s starting.”
The time passed too quickly. Before Bethany Anne realized it, they had exhausted their supply of popcorn and used up all the tissues she’d put on the table for the weepy scenes. Plus, she was out of Coke, and Tabitha was looking less comfortable by the minute, probably because she was the reason Bethany Anne was out of Coke.
Bethany Anne paused the movie, irritated by Tabitha’s fidgeting. “Bathroom break,” she announced.
Cheryl Lynn groaned, and Tabitha darted off, “Be back. Got anymore Coke?”
Bethany Anne got up, causing a mini-avalanche of dropped popcorn and tissues. “Sonofabitch.”
She snorted softly, remembering the days before Alexis and Gabriel had come along. A mess like that would have been annoying before it even hit the floor. She brought the lights up, then passed the tablet to Cheryl Lynn and bent to pick up the mess.
While she was cleaning, she checked in with ADAM.
>> Oh, so now you want my company—when you’re on your knees dealing with disaster.<<
Bethany Anne rolled her eyes. I did invite you to stay.
>>You know I’m not serious. What’s up? Aren’t you supposed to be enjoying movie night?<<
I am enjoying movie night. But…
>>But you want to check in on Michael and the children?<<
Actually, I wanted to order in some food from the kitchens. I canceled my surveillance on Michael, and I trust Addix not to lose my children on a mall-world, or I wouldn’t have allowed her to take them. You can order the food now and praise me for my restraint later.
>>I’ll praise you a little bit now. I’m impressed.<<
She straightened and emptied the mess into the wastebasket. I suppose having other things to focus on again may have helped me unwind a tiny bit.
Cheryl Lynn blew her nose loudly, raising her voice in the direction Tabitha had gone. “Come on, for crying out loud! We were just getting to the bit where she pushes him down the hill!”
Bethany Anne chuckled. Cheryl Lynn's displays of emotion could be counted on whenever they got together.
“It’s the best part,” Cheryl Lynn murmured as she dabbed her eyes.
Tabitha returned from the bathroom. Bethany Anne smirked and held her hands up as she crossed the room. “Nature calls, ladies.”
Tabitha poked around the remains of the snacks on the table. “I’m getting hungry for real food.”
“I think we should order some takeout,” Cheryl Lynn called after Bethany Anne.
Bethany Anne paused to reply, “I already ordered. It should be here…”
>>In fifteen minutes. <<
“I hope it’s soon,” Tabitha interjected, emptying the last few kernels of popcorn into her mouth from the bowl. “My appetite is definitely back.”
“In ten minutes.” Put a rush on it, ADAM. Tabitha is going to eat me out of house and home.
Colonnara, Arts Quarter
Addix was glad she had four eyes since otherwise, she’d have been hard-pressed to keep track of the children and monitor for danger at the same time. As it was, she would not have refused the offer of an extra pair in the back of her head. She’d heard Bethany Anne joke about having those when the twins were infants.
One hour into the shopping, she’d realized that Bethany Anne’s laughing plea had been no joke. Alexis and Gabriel darted between the stalls, pelting the vendors with questions about every trinket that caught the magpie vision they had developed upon entering the quietly shabby arts quarter.
This was a planet packed with wealthy individuals. It must be like a well-stocked fishpond to the kinds of criminals who preyed on the rich.
Addix would not be surprised to discover that such lowlifes were hovering somewhere nearby. In fact, she was almost sure there were some. What Peter teasingly called her “spidey sense” but was actually the culmination of her long life as a spy told her that to dismiss the suspicion would be foolish.
At first, she had put the itch on the back of her neck down to gawkers unused to seeing an Ixtali. However, the itch only grew in intensity after she’d covered her face with her hood.
The children were for once blissfully situationally unaware. Addix had no problem with them remaining that way until the moment came when they needed to act. She was there to protect them, so she would let them enjoy the market.
Alexis ran over with Gabriel. “Aunt Addix, we found a gift! Come and see!”
Addix allowed Alexis to pull her by the hand to a small building whose signage promised an “out of this world viewing experience.” Addix paused at the display window to look inside, but it was tinted.
Gabriel dashed to the door. “Come on, Aunt Addix, we have to hurry or we’ll miss our appointment.”
Addix’s mandibles rippled in interest. “Appointment?”
Alexis rolled her eyes and pointed at a smaller sign by the door that read “reenactment specialist.” “Yes, Aunt Addix. I had Phyrro make us one when we spotted this sign.” She smiled brightly at Addix. “We’re going to make Mommy a video of her best bits.”
Addix was confused. “Her best bit
s?”
Gabriel nodded. “All the times she kicked butt!” he exclaimed. “Can we go in now? Pleeeeease?”
Addix found it hard to refuse.
Why did it affect her so when the twins made their eyes large like that? “Of course.” She didn’t add that they could have made this video at home, and with better technology. It was their gift to choose. “Does Phyrro have the footage you need to make the video?”
Alexis gave Addix a shrewd look, speaking as only the young can. “Aunt Addix, it’s not that kind of video. We’re going to get dressed up and play the parts, like Mommy would have done when she was our age. The artist makes it into sort of like a movie.”
Gabriel skipped around at Addix’s side. “I can’t wait to see Mommy’s face when we give her the gift.”
Addix was about to lead them inside when she was shoved from behind. Glass smashed as Addix turned with a snarl to ward off the threat, almost colliding with the Baka who had bumped her and dropped a glass jar.
Addix stumbled forward and tripped on the hem of her blasted robe, gagging on the heavy spices in the air. Her four feet crunched on broken glass as she moved to avoid the cloud of potent spices that billowed up.
She quickly recovered her footing and shrugged off the Baka who had jostled her, looking for Alexis and Gabriel. The Baka clung to her arm, refusing to let go and making even more of a scene. She wheeled back and saw the deceit in his eyes. “You planned this!”
Addix backhanded the Baka in the throat with the pommel of the knife that had appeared in her hand.
The Baka clutched his throat and let out a gargled scream. Addix hissed when she couldn’t immediately see the two children, bringing the knife back around and silencing the Baka permanently.
The passersby screamed and scattered, unused to such displays of violence.
Addix snarled and darted into the crowd.
“There will be deaths,” the Ixtali female screamed.
High Tortuga, Southern Continent
Peter and Akio lunged to pull Michael back before he could dive in after the ginormous creature and retrieve his kill.
The Kurtherian Endgame Boxed Set Page 46